


just wrong enough to make it feel right

by preciousthings



Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: Fake/Pretend Relationship, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, M/M, Pining, Weddings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-28
Updated: 2017-11-28
Packaged: 2019-02-08 03:48:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,406
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12856098
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/preciousthings/pseuds/preciousthings
Summary: “I need you to be my boyfriend,” Anthony blurts out, after they’ve ordered and lapsed into silence. He blushes dark red and looks down so he doesn’t have to see Mat’s reaction.“At least buy me dinner first,” Mat says, and Anthony doesn’t even have to look at him to know he’s smirking. The reaction issoMat, and Anthony isn’t even surprised.“Does this lunch count?” Anthony says, looking up, and he’sgoing along with this, like, what the fuck, this isn’treal.





	just wrong enough to make it feel right

**Author's Note:**

> **IF YOU FOUND THIS BY GOOGLING YOUR NAME OR THE NAME OF SOMEONE YOU KNOW PLEASE CLICK AWAY NOW AND SAVE BOTH OF US FROM FURTHER EMBARASSMENT.**
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> hello i am back!! with another rare pair!!! this started as one scene that was mostly a joke/something i did quickly for fun/a writing exercise for myself and now it's 5k and i'm planning, like, three more fics with this pairing. inspired by mat and tito being mat and tito, me finally seeing them play a hockey game together irl, and mat's instagram story from the night i finished this where it totally looked like they made dinner together. 
> 
> anyway who doesn't love some good 'ol wholesome fake dating shenanigans, right? there are a few made up characters in here, and they're all family members + tito's ex boyfriend. i know tito has an older brother, but he's not in here because he's in manitoba right now in the ahl and this is supposed to take place in mid-december of 2017. the title is from 'sparks fly' which is the best song taylor swift has ever written. 
> 
> thanks to lotts for their cheerleading and beta-ing, hailey for her cheerleading, ria for naming one of the cousins, elena for helping pick a summary, and julia just 'cause she's the greatest.

So, like, maybe Anthony needs to start using the calendar on his phone more often.

It’s easy to keep track of games and practices and flights, but everything else is kind of… easy to forget. Which he didn’t realize until his mom called while Anthony was driving to practice and asked if he was still bringing a date to his cousin’s wedding.

“It’s next week, Tito. Did you forget?” she asks, and honestly, Anthony is feeling really called out by this. He’s capable of doing things on his own, thank you very much.

“I didn’t _not_ forget...” Anthony says, sheepish. It’s true, like, he knew his cousin was getting married, he just… forgot when.

“You’re still coming, right?”

“Yes, I’m coming, Maman,” he sighs.

“And you’re still bringing a date? Your aunt has been complaining to me about people canceling last minute all last week,” his mom says. Anthony is quiet for a very long time. “Tito, did you forget that you had a plus-one?”

“Samuel broke up with me in August, I don’t think I _have_ a plus-one anymore.”

“You know how your aunt gets, Tito, she’ll be losing her mind the day of. There’s no one you can bring as a date? Or even as a friend?”

“I… I’m seeing someone, I guess. He—It’s a pretty new thing, but I’m sure it’ll be okay,” Anthony lies, and it feels _bad_ , but he doesn’t have any other choice right now, he—he’s so _fucked_.

“Well, then,” his mom says, and Anthony doesn’t have to see her face to know she’s smiling. “I’m excited to meet him.”

“Yeah, I—yeah,” he says, and thankfully, pulls into the lot of the rink, so he has to hang up.

He just—lied to his mom? Dug himself into a deep, deep hole? Needs to find a fake boyfriend, as soon as humanly possible? Is so, completely, totally fucked? All of the above.

It would have to be a teammate, wouldn’t it? The guys his age are his closest friends in New York. Anthony hasn’t actually been with someone since he and Samuel broke up, and he’s over that now, and there’s Mat.

Mat, who Anthony’s probably had feelings for longer than he could have recognized it. He definitely has feelings. He _likes_ Mat. Can’t stop smiling around him, and there are butterflies, the whole nine yards. He’s got a freaking crush, and he feels like he’s 12 years-old; he hasn’t felt that in so long, probably since he and Samuel first got together. Anthony’s almost certain that a long relationship won’t come of this like last time.

But he could still ask Mat. Mat would probably say yes to this. Mat would probably be a good fake boyfriend, too. Maybe even a good real boyfriend, but Anthony won’t think about that. He can’t think about that.

 

 

“Yo, Josh,” Anthony says, as Josh is on his way out of the locker room. It’s emptied out, and Anthony took his time in the shower deliberately for this reason. “Quick question.”

“What’s up, Tito?” Josh crosses the room again, sits down in the stall next to Anthony’s.

“You think Barz would be my fake boyfriend if I asked him?” Anthony asks.

Josh stifles a laugh, and then he’s quiet for a very, very long time.

“I need context, man. That’s a weird question.” Josh says, eventually.

“One of my cousins is getting married in New York, and like, I live here. My family members all think I’m bringing a date, but my boyfriend and I broke up like, a week after my mom apparently RSVP-ed for me. I need to bring someone now because I can’t go back on saying I have a plus-one.”

“You had a boyfriend?” Josh asks, and Anthony nods. “Cool, dude. Sorry about the break up, though.”

Anthony shrugs. “It’s whatever, but I just need to find someone now that’s cool with pretending to date me.”

“Barz is certainly an interesting choice.” Josh narrows his eyes.

“He’d make it believable, I dunno… He’s like.” Anthony waves his hand in the air a bit, as if that motion will explain everything. “He’s Mat,” he settles on, because there aren’t enough words in the English or French language to sum up Mat Barzal.

“Mat Barzal is a lot of things, but boyfriend material is not one of them.” Josh laughs a little bit.

“No, no, he is, though. Think about it.”

“He _is_ pretty charming,” Josh says, and Anthony nods. “Like, he slept with half of the national team between his U17and U20 years because everyone is so charmed by whatever it is about him that’s charming.”

“I was there,” Anthony laughs. “I know.”

“And apparently he broke Auston Matthews’ heart.”

Anthony nods. “Not apparently, he did. During World Juniors.”

“You sure asking Mat’s a good idea?”

Anthony shrugs again. “Don’t really have many other options and it’s this weekend.”

“I’d do it for you.”

“But I—I _like_ Mat!” Anthony stumbles over his words, and then covers his mouth with his hand. “Shit,” he mumbles. “I wasn’t supposed to say that.”

“And you think calling him your boyfriend for a night and taking him to your cousin’s wedding will _help_ with that?”

“I don’t know what I’m thinking, okay?” Anthony sighs.

“You and Barz are both my friends and my teammates, you know? I don’t want to see either of you get hurt.”

“I’m obviously the one more likely to get hurt in this situation.”

“Just be careful, Tito.”

“He’s not gonna fall in love with me in one night,” Anthony deadpans.

“When are you gonna ask him?” Josh asks, and Anthony hasn’t thought that far in advance yet, to be honest. He doesn’t really have a lot of time, though.

“Tonight? Tomorrow? I dunno. It’s not like he needs to do much to prepare. We both own suits. We’re friends. We see each other every day.”

“If he says no, or you just never get up the nerve to ask him, I’m available. As a backup or whatever. Though I know I could never compare to Mat,” Josh smirks.

“Shut up, we’re pretending I never said that. Who’s Mat? I don’t know him. I certainly don’t have romantic feelings for him, what are you talking about?”

“You sure you got this under control, Tito?”

Anthony shrugs and it seems like all he’s doing is shrugging. “We’ll see.”

“Good luck,” Josh smiles.

 _I’m going to need it_ , Anthony thinks.

 

 

Anthony asks Mat if he wants to get lunch after skate the next day. Mat says yes. Anthony is only freaking out a little bit.

And he knows he shouldn’t be, like, he and Mat are bros. Mat’s been his bro for a while now; they go back, like, 4 years. It’s just lunch with Mat. This happens all the time.  

He kind of has an idea of how this should go, figured out what he’s going to say and everything so this doesn’t have to be weird.

So of course he forgets how to form words in _both_ languages.

“I need you to be my boyfriend,” Anthony blurts out, after they’ve ordered and lapsed into silence. He blushes dark red and looks down so he doesn’t have to see Mat’s reaction.

“At least buy me dinner first,” Mat says, and Anthony doesn’t even have to look at him to know he’s smirking. The reaction is _so_ Mat, and Anthony isn’t even surprised.

“Does this lunch count?” Anthony says, looking up, and he’s _going along with this_ , like, what the fuck, this isn’t _real_.

Probably would’ve been smart to lead with that.

“So is this like, our first date?” Mat asks, still a hint of that smirk on his face.

Anthony ignores that; it’s better for his own feelings if he just ignores that. “Are you free Saturday night?”

Mat nods, so Anthony continues, “My cousin is getting married this weekend in New York and I need a wedding date ‘cause mine dumped me and also he’s in Quebec, so even if I decided to take my ex, he’s in Canada. I need you to like, fake date me. If you’re available and don’t think this is weird or anything. I’d owe you big time for this, because I know it’s a lot to ask and like—”

“Tito, you’re rambling,” Mat says, and Anthony blushes again. “You do owe me, but I’m in.”

“You… Yeah?”

“I’ll be your fake boyfriend,” Mat shrugs. “How hard could it be?”

 _Harder than you’d think, if you’re me_ , Anthony wants to say, but doesn’t. “Not too hard, if you’re okay with dodging questions from my entire family.”

“They’re gonna ask questions?” Mat asks.

“More than necessary, probably, since you’re my ‘new’ boyfriend,” Anthony says, using air quotes around the word new.

“I’ve met your family before,” Mat says.

“Not as the guy they think I’m dating. I was in a relationship every other time they’ve met you.”

“I got this, Tito. I’m gonna be the best fake boyfriend you’ve ever had.”

“You don’t have much to live up to, considering every other partner I’ve had has been a real one.”

“I’ll be better than them too. I’m gonna treat you so right. I don’t do things halfway,” Mat smiles, and Anthony knows, in that moment, that he’s fucked.

It was a bad idea to begin with, it’s still a bad idea, and it’ll probably continue to be a bad idea even when it’s over, but he can’t let Josh say “I told you so,” so he’s going through with it.

Thankfully, their food comes before Anthony has a chance to respond, and the moment passes, replaced with silence as they both eat their sandwiches.

Anthony does end up paying for Mat’s lunch, even though Mat goes for his wallet, because he’s not a liar, and also, Mat is his fake boyfriend now. It’s the least he can do.

 

 

Anthony thinks he can leave this alone until Friday, at least, when they’ll have to figure out some kind of plan, but it hasn’t even been four _hours_ when he gets to the arena pre-game and he’s reminded of the whole thing.

Mat’s standing near Anthony’s stall when he walks in, and Mat’s already half in his gear, what the hell.

“Hey, babe,” Mat says, low enough that no one else hears it; he’s smirking that typical Mat smirk, and if they were anywhere else, in any other situation, Anthony would just lean over and kiss him. But in the locker room, when Mat is his fake boyfriend and nothing else beyond that, he won’t. He _can’t_.

Maybe there’s another Anthony in an alternate dimension somewhere who’s braver. Maybe that Anthony has already kissed his Mat.

Anthony just pushes that feeling to the back of his head, smiles tightly and pulls one earbud out. “Hey,” he says.

“This is gonna be so much fun,” Mat says, smiling, and then turns back toward his own stall.

That was weird, right? That definitely felt off. Mat’s acting weird now. Anthony didn’t think asking Mat to fake date him would make things weird; he half-expected Mat to ignore it completely until they actually had to act all couple-y. He wasn’t expecting this to get weird.

Great, fantastic. Saturday feels like it can’t come soon enough.

 

 

It’s the last time anything relationship related comes up until Friday night, when Mat texts Anthony.

 

**Mat**

dude so whats the plan for tm

**Anthony**

hadn’t rly thought about it

**Mat**

u should do that maybe 

**Anthony**

pushyyyyyy

Ok i’m thinking now

**Mat**

u can do that?

**Anthony**

I’m fake breaking up with you

**Mat**

I’m real offended by that bc fuck you I’m a fantastic fake boyfriend

**Anthony**

chirp chirp chirp

**Mat**

why are you like this tito

**Anthony**

u like it

**Mat**

only bc I have to pretend to be in love with you

also team dynamics I guess

**Anthony**

I’m ignoring that

meet me at my apartment tomorrow around 5? We can take the subway in together

**Mat**

Sounds good see you tmrw babe

 

Mat’s really committed to this act, and every time he does something like that,  or calls Anthony babe, Anthony’s mind wanders to somewhere it absolutely needs to stop going. Everything Mat is doing is part of this ridiculous scheme. It means _nothing_.  

Anthony has less than 24 hours to get the hell over himself, and get the hell over _Mat_ , because if he doesn’t, he’ll say something really stupid to Mat and ruin not only their fake relationship, but whatever their real one is too. And if that does happen, it’s his own damn fault.

  


Anthony wakes up on Saturday wishing it were already over.

It’s just. Being Mat’s fake boyfriend from a distance was super chill, he didn’t have to do much, but today he has to stand right next to Mat and tell his extended family that they’re dating while they play pretend for the night, and it’s a more daunting challenge than anything hockey-related in Anthony’s life has ever been.

He makes breakfast and goes to the gym, takes a nap just trying to pass the time, and does two shots of tequila when he wakes up. Liquid courage.  

Eventually, he spends too long getting ready; he has too much restless energy pent up. he’s perfected getting ready for games in about 20 minutes, but he spends that long just in the shower. He picks out a suit from his closet, a dark blue one that fits him better than most of the ones he wears for games. He’s not consciously dressing to impress Mat, because Mat has seen him in a suit pretty much every other day since the season started, but on some level, he’s dressing to impress Mat. It feels kind of pathetic.

“You’re an idiot, Tito,” he says, looking at himself in the mirror. There’s too much hair gel and—there’s someone knocking on his door.

Anthony takes a deep breath before going to open it.

Mat’s standing there and he—Anthony kind of feels like he just got all the air punched out of him.

Mat is, objectively, really handsome. He’s fucking hot, and that’s usually only half of Anthony’s problems, but his biggest one right now.

He’s seen Mat dressed up before, is the thing, but he’s never seen Mat look like _this_ , in a suit that fits him _too_ perfectly; his hair is actually combed, he shaved, and—is that _cologne_? It’s all a really good look on him, and Anthony is so fucking gone.

“Uh, Tito?” Mat says, and Anthony realizes that he’s probably been staring. _Fuck_.

“Hi, sorry, yeah, hey.” Anthony stumbles over his words and never really recovers from it. He steps to the side to let Mat in.

This is going really well.

“You look really good,” Anthony says, because he can’t help himself.

“You see me in suits all the time,” Mat smiles. “But thanks. You too.”

“Thanks,” Anthony blushes, _God dammit_ , he needs to stop blushing.

They stand there in Anthony’s living room in silence; Mat shoves his hands into his pockets.

“We should, uh—” Anthony says, motioning his head toward the door, as if to say go.

“Yeah, let’s go.” Mat smiles again.

 _Nothing is different_ , Anthony has to remind himself, _Mat’s still just your friend. He’s doing you a favor_.

They’re on the Subway, both standing and sharing the same pole, when Mat looks up and says, “We need a backstory, or something.”

“What?”

“Your family is going to ask us about how we got together, aren’t they? Unless you want to wing it, but I don’t trust you to do that,” Mat laughs.

“ _I_ think I could handle myself just fine, but if you insist, Barz. Any ideas?”

“Not a clue.”

“You literally just suggested this.”

“I know, but I don’t have any ideas. I figured you could come up with something.” Mat shrugs, and Anthony laughs.

“You’re ridiculous,” he says, and then he’s quiet for a moment while he thinks. “Whatever it is, it’s a new thing. I was in a relationship until the end of August. But you’re not like, a rebound either. It had to be mutual, you know?”

“Maybe I just saw an opportunity to kiss you and took it,” Mat says quietly; Anthony almost can’t hear him over the loud rumble of the Subway.

“And I kissed back, ‘cause on some level the feelings were already there. We, um, we kept it kind of casual for a little while? Because I was still dealing with things from my breakup, and you hadn’t even made the team yet.”

Mat nods. “But when I did, we actually called our relationship what it is.”

“Yeah,” Anthony nods. “That sounds believable.”

“What if your entire family decides they hate me?”

“They won’t hate you. Even if they do, we’re gonna fake break up soon anyway.”

Mat nods, and the train stops. When the doors close and it begins moving again, Anthony starts talking again. “By the way, I, uh, I never thanked you for all of this. I don’t know many people willing to be their teammate’s fake boyfriend.”

“You’re my friend, Tito. Not just my teammate.” Mat smiles. “It’s nothing, really. I was free tonight. Happy to help.”

Anthony smiles back and it’s quiet between them until the train stops at their stop. Once they’re outside the station, Mat takes Anthony’s hand and leads him down the street like that, fingers intertwined. Okay, Anthony wasn’t expecting that to happen so soon.

“Is this okay?” Mat asks. “Like, PDA?”

Anthony nods. “It would be weirder if we didn’t, Barz.”  

“Cool. We’re really gonna sell this thing now.”  

 

 

They get to the venue in time for the wedding, without much time to interact with Anthony’s family. Mat holds his hand during the entire ceremony and Anthony has to try really hard to focus on the wedding and not the way Mat squeezes his hand every few minutes.

It’s a beautiful wedding. Anthony’s cousin and his new husband are perfect for each other.  Anthony doesn’t cry, but it’s a close thing. He doesn’t miss the way Mat turns to look at him, sometimes.

His mom and dad find them during the cocktail hour, when they're off to the side after getting drinks from the bar.

"You ready?" Anthony whispers, but before Mat can even reply, Anthony is being pulled into a hug by his mom.  

"Hi, Maman," he says, muffled by his mom's shoulder. When he pulls back, he gives his dad a quick hug. Mat's just standing awkwardly next to him.

"You already know Mat," Anthony says, motioning toward him. Mat waves.  

"Mathew, hi," his mom smiles.  

"You can call him Mat," Anthony mumbles.  

"Tito, is he the person you're seeing?"  

"He's literally right there. You know you can talk to him, right?"  

Anthony can hear Mat stifle a laugh next to him, and he has to laugh a little, too.  

"It's nice to see you again, Mat," Anthony's dad says, reaching out to shake Mat's hand.  

"You, too." Mat nods.  

"So, you and Tito are a couple, eh?" His dad says.  

" _Dad_ ," Anthony says; at the same time, Mat nods.  

"We are, yeah," Mat says.

"You look so happy, Anthony," his mom says, and Anthony—he hasn't even been trying. He hasn't turned it on yet, whatever it is that'll make this believable. Right here, this is just Anthony, who has feelings for the guy pretending to be his boyfriend. His mom sees something, though, and he hopes like hell that Mat doesn't.

"I am."  

"Aww." Mat smirks and Anthony shoves at him, playfully.  

"You're so annoying."

"You love it," Mat says, and Anthony really can't argue that.

His parents wander off a few minutes later; Mat doesn't drop Anthony's hand.

They get away with a lot of alone time during the cocktail hour, mostly because Anthony keeps dodging family and Mat goes along with it. It's actually kind of—fun? They sneak drinks and hide in corners, and Mat's laughing.

He can't really escape his family once the reception starts.

"Anthony, I'm so happy to see you! You look so grown up!" Anthony’s grandmother comes up to them before all of the wedding party entrances begin. She gives him a hug, squeezing him tightly, "Who's this handsome young man with you?"  

She's speaking quickly in French, and Anthony thinks Mat's keeping up.

"My boyfriend, Mat," he says, nudging Mat. It's the first time he's called Mat his boyfriend, and it just feels weird coming out of his mouth. Unnatural and wrong. _Oh God_ , he's lying to his grandma. “Mat, grandma. Grandma, Mat.”

"It's, um, it's nice to meet you," Mat says slowly in French, stumbling over the words.

“Do you play hockey with Anthony?” Grandma asks Mat.

Mat nods. “We’re, uh, we’re teammates.”

“We’ve played together on and off since 2014.” Anthony adds. Next to him, Mat is tense, which is weird, because he was so relaxed, like, ten minutes ago. Grandma isn’t _that_ intimidating.

“When did you two get together? Tito, last time we talked you were dating that—what was his name again?”

“His name is Samuel, Grandma. We broke up in August, and Mat and I got together, like, a month later? Mat kissed me,” Anthony says, and he’s blushing telling his _grandmother_ about the time Mat kissed him, without even knowing what that’s actually like. Mat’s almost too quiet. Anthony had assumed Mat would chirp him for blushing, or make a comment, or anything at all.

“You’re a very attractive couple,” Grandma says. “Take care of my grandson, Mat.”

“I—I will,” Mat stammers.

They have the same conversation 5 times, at least, with all different members of Anthony’s family, all before dinner is even served. With every single interaction, Mat’s gotten a little quieter, and Anthony realizes, way later than he should have, probably, that Mat’s, like, super fucking nervous.

It’s really unlike him. He’s usually sheer energy, no reservations, talking up a storm. Anthony thinks something is up.

“Mat, can I talk to you for a second?” Anthony asks, taking Mat’s hand and pulling him away from the group of cousins they’d been talking to.

“Yeah?”

“Oh, I just wanted to stop answering the same three questions,” Anthony says, and it’s kind of a lie. He did it for Mat’s sake, hoping that maybe a minute away from everything will help Mat relax.

“Your family is really nice,” Mat says.

“They’re… a lot.” Tito laughs. “You’re handling it well.”

Mat just shrugs, and he’s quiet again.

It’s super fucking weird.

They get a break from playing up the relationship during dinner, because pretty much all of the conversation is replaced with actually eating, and then there are speeches — holy _shit_ , there are so many speeches — so Anthony’s able to mostly drop the act for a little while.

He texts Josh during dinner because he’d gotten a text from Josh earlier that day: _good luck tito!!! Don’t do anything you’ll regret!!!!_

**Anthony**

dude mat’s acting super weird and un mat like

has he texted you at all??

**Josh**

nah what do you mean un mat like though?

**Anthony**

hes quiet and not chirping me it’s weird

Mat holds Anthony’s hand under the table during the speeches. It’s the kind of thing he could get used to happening a lot: on the plane, at team dinners, watching movies together on roadies. He can’t let himself think that way.

Mat’s not going to hold his hand again after tonight. He’s not going to get to brag to his family about his really awesome boyfriend anymore. Mat will go back to being his old friend and his teammate, he’ll tell his family they broke up without even knowing what it’s like to kiss Mat, and Anthony can’t be upset about that.

  


Mat seems to relax more after dinner, engaging in conversations that Anthony isn’t even involved in. He’s off to the side of the room, talking to a group of his cousins without Mat; Mat had been talking to Anthony’s parents when he walked away.

“He’s really cute,” Emilie, one of the cousins Anthony’s age says. Anthony blushes a deep shade of red. “How’d you manage to get a boyfriend _that_ cute?”

“Cute is an understatement, Em. Tito has the best looking partner in this entire family,” Rachel, Emilie’s older sister, says. Anthony laughs; if Mat had heard that, he’d say something like, _I know I’m attractive_ , because that’s just how Mat is.

“He’s way too good for me,” Anthony says. In any universe, that much, at least, is true. Mat Barzal _is_ way too good for him.

“Yeah, I mean, he’s really hot,” Emilie says, and Anthony fakes offended.

“He plays really sick hockey, too, Em,” Jon, Emilie and Rachel’s younger brother, says.

“Okay, but be honest, Tito: do you think he’s hot for his looks or the way he shoots a puck?” Rachel asks, and Anthony—he’s honest.

“Both, I think, but also he’s really funny? He has a great personality, and I dunno, he’s just a great guy. Definitely helps that he’s good looking and good at hockey, though.”

“Tito, that’s so gross,” Emilie says.

“I can literally see the ‘in love’ in your eyes,” Rachel adds.

This conversation is _so much_ , and Anthony wants to shout _It’s fake!_ but it’s not, is the thing. What he’s telling his cousins about the way he feels for Mat is so real.

“Look,” Emilie says, pointing in the direction of the dance floor, “He’s dancing with Amelie.”

Amelie is seven years old, and barely four feet tall, but she’s there with Mat, and it’s one of the cutest things Anthony has ever seen.

“Okay, that’s adorable,” Rachel says. She nudges Anthony. “Go over there! Dance with your man.”

“And break up whatever he’s doing with Amelie? Nope, too cute.”

“ _Go_ ,” Rachel says, and actually pushes him toward the dance floor this time.

Amelie squeals when she sees Anthony approaching them. “Tito!”

“Hi, babe.” Mat smiles at him. “Amelie’s really cute.”

“Tito, your boyfriend is very nice.”

“Yeah? You like him?”

Amelie nods, and Anthony grins. “Mat, she approves.”

“He’s really cute,” Amelie whispers in Anthony’s ear.

“I know he is,” Anthony whispers back in hers.

The song changes from an upbeat one to a slow one, and Amelie smiles. “Dance,” she says, and Anthony’s not about to disobey an order from his seven-year-old cousin. She runs off before he can even reply.

When he stands up straight, Mat is still in front of him, so he holds out his hand. “May I have this dance?”

Mat takes his hand and nods. “I knew I’d get you to dance with me tonight.”

Anthony shrugs. “All about selling the act, right?”

He swears Mat looks disappointed for a split second, and he tries to push that thought out of his head. It’s ridiculous. He’s just seeing things and making something out of nothing.

They’re almost chest to chest, close enough that Anthony could put his head on Mat’s shoulder if he were feeling brave, but he’s not.

So, he swears he’s making it up when Mat leans in closer. And closer.

He’s not making it up. This is—

Mat is kissing him. Right there in the middle of the dance floor, kissing Anthony.

Anthony panics.

He doesn’t kiss back.

“God, _fuck_ , I’m sorry,” Mat says, and he’s walking away, but Anthony is frozen. He can’t move, he can’t speak, he’s just thinking about Mat’s lips on his and how fucking _stupid_ he was.

This is all he’s wanted out of tonight and he fucked it up by freezing up and doing nothing.

He deserves this. He wouldn’t be surprised if Mat had just left and left him to deal with the aftermath alone. He’d deserve that.

“Tito, are you okay?” Amelie says, tugging at his hand. It breaks him out of his own thoughts. “Mat went outside.”

“Thanks, cutie.” He smiles tight and kisses her head, before sprinting toward the entrance to the venue’s rooftop garden.

It’s snowing, and Mat’s out there, just like Amelie said he was. He’s at the far end of the garden, and it’s fucking cold without a jacket on, but this is too important to go back inside for a jacket. It feels too big, and too fragile. Like his entire relationship with Mat, platonic or romantic or fake-romantic, rests on whatever’s about to happen out here.

“Mat,” Anthony says quietly, when he’s close enough that he knows Mat will hear him.

“We don’t have to talk about that,” Mat says. “The kiss, I mean. I’m sorry. Can we just leave it at that?”

Anthony steps closer. He’s in front of Mat, looking right at him, and his hands are shaking; he can’t tell if it’s from nerves, the cold, or both. “Was that…” he starts, “Was it just to make this more believable?”

“Tito, I said we don’t have to talk about it.” Mat says, and he sounds desperate.

“Barz…”

“I just—Never mind, okay? It’s stupid.” Mat shakes his head.

“Whatever it is, it can’t be stupider than me asking you to be my fake boyfriend.”

“It wasn’t stupid.”

“Yes it _was_ ,” Anthony says, and he wants to laugh, it all sounds so ridiculous. “I asked you to fake date me even though I have very real feelings for you.”

He takes a deep breath once it’s all out there. It kind of hangs between them for too long, as they stand there in silence. A snowflake falls and lands on Mat’s eyelashes.

“I just saw an opportunity to kiss you and took it,” Mat says, eventually. It’s their fake backstory, but Mat is saying it now like it’s. Like it might be real.

“Can we re-do it?”

“Re-do what?”

“Here’s another opportunity to kiss me. Take this one. Please, Mat,” Anthony says. He thinks he sounds a little pathetic, but Mat must not, because he’s cutting off Anthony’s train of thought with another kiss.

This one is so much better. It’s probably Anthony’s best second-first kiss. It doesn’t even surprise him that Mat is as good at kissing as he is at everything else.

It’s the most cliché, rom-com moment of his entire life; he’s kissing the guy he likes on the rooftop garden on the 65th floor of a New York City skyscraper, everything below them is decorated for the holidays, and there’s snow falling.

But it’s better than a movie scene, because it’s his life.

“I like you a lot, Tito,” Mat says, once they’ve pulled apart. “It took playing pretend for me to realize that what I’ve been feeling since the beginning of the season was more than a little crush. Seeing you with your family, and like, seeing them actually like me as someone who’s important to you? I dunno.”

“I don’t think I would’ve been able to say something to you before tonight was over if you hadn’t kissed me first. I’ve liked you for… a while, God. I had a crush at U18, and then Samuel happened, and like, I asked you to do this because I like you so much.”

Mat smiles, laughing a little bit, before he pulls Anthony back in and kisses him again.

There are so many things running through Anthony’s mind when he pulls back, but all he can say is, “Wow.”

“I’m sorry it took me so long to realize,” Mat says. “But I like you a lot. And kissing you is pretty awesome.”

“Can we skip the ‘kind of casual’ part and go straight to the calling this what it is part? If that’s okay with you, ‘cause I like kissing you too, and I’d like to do a lot more of that.”

“Totally okay with me,” Mat smiles. Anthony can’t help himself, leans in for another kiss.

Mat’s shivering, and Anthony’s cold too, so he takes Mat’s hand to lead them back into the ballroom.

“No more faking it?” Mat asks, smiling.

Anthony shakes his head, “You’re my totally real, not at all pretend boyfriend now.”

 

 

Anthony asks Mat to dance again, a little bit later on in the evening. They’re both much more relaxed with everything settled between them. It’s fun. They make each other laugh, and neither of them are particularly good dancers.

Mat leans in to kiss Anthony, and he kisses back. No one runs away this time.  

**Author's Note:**

> **fun stuff!**
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> \- josh had lowkey been meddling since tito asked him about fake dating mat. he texted mat and asked if he wanted to hang out that saturday KNOWING he wasn't free. he also texted mat during the wedding after tito's texts about mat acting weird. thanks josh you're a real bro
> 
> \- tito's family never finds out that he and mat actually got together _at_ the wedding but a few of tito's cousins saw them kissing in the garden and knew something was up. amelie thinks they're the cutest couple in the world.
> 
> \- the wedding is supposed to take place in a real new york city venue: 620 loft and garden. it's one part of the iconic rainbow room, on the 65th floor of 30 rockefeller plaza. [it's BEAUTIFUL and hella romantic](https://rainbowroom.com/620-loft-garden/). 
> 
> \- after doing a little bit of detective work on instagram and eliteprospects, i found that mat and tito were actually [roommates at the 2014 ivan hlinka](https://www.instagram.com/p/rr86-Zt87m/?hl=en&taken-by=titobeauvi91) and also played together at u18 worlds before world juniors in 2016. [have](https://www.instagram.com/p/BHVRQz6hgFU/?hl=en&taken-by=titobeauvi91) [some](https://www.instagram.com/p/BbDSMhQHats/?hl=en&taken-by=titobeauvi91) [more](https://www.instagram.com/p/BHDcwSbA2Bq/?hl=en&taken-by=barzal97) [pics](https://www.instagram.com/p/rr-EUTTQtt/?hl=en&taken-by=barzal97) (yes i know that's the same as the first one but mat also posted it so it counts - tito commented "Je taime mon amiiiii" on this one).
> 
> -come hang out on tumblr (@marns16) and twitter (@matbarzaI - the l is an uppercase i!)!


End file.
